For everyone interested in joining Gunship Revolution – or really, if you’re interested in joining art studios in general – here are some tips about making a good impression on an email application!

Rule Zero: clear your folio of vermin and other small animals before submitting.

1

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Imagine finding an email on your inbox from someone you’ve never met. Imagine opening that email and finding it empty, save for a link and a zip-file that says “arts.” Sure, it could be from someone so good at art that words will fail to capture what only images will be able to but it could just as easily be crawling with malware.

Of course, a short, simple, formal introduction will take you a lot farther than proving you are an actual human looking for a job (until the Turing Test is definitively cracked, circa 2025.) An introductory letter is the first set of words you will be engaging with the people you want to work with. Given that a job with an art studio involves much more communication and relationship-building than our little introvert hearts expected, this teaser will be crucial.

2

KEEP IT CONCISE

This would be rule number one if rule number one hadn’t been about introductions. It also applies to both your letter and your portfolio. Be selective about the information you place on your letter: name, the positions you wish to apply for, and which parts of the production process you specialize in. For the pieces you wish to submit as your portfolio, six to eight of your best work should do. Remember that there are still interviews to follow and you will have a chance to elaborate there.

3

COMPLETE IT

Skill may make an artist but it is tenacity that makes a professional. It is always best not to submit pieces for your portfolio unless it’s finished, otherwise you might imply that you may be the kind of person who ends up leaving projects similarly hanging. So yeah, no production sketches or Works in Progress. Also no headshots, unless it’s concept art for a character born without anything from the chest down, we’d like to see the rest of the body, please.

4

COMPLETE IT EVEN FURTHER

If you only have a handful of art to submit, you might as well go all out with it. This is why we recommend that you submit fully colored illustrations with backgrounds and original concepts: it’s easy to show variety in a folio of sixty pieces but when you only have six to show, you might as well showcase everything you’ve got. Are you good with atmospheric effects and mechanical elements? Draw robots fixing a traffic jam in a storm. Are you good with animal anatomy and modern interiors? Give us “The Office” if it was starred by Chimeras.

5

REFLECT WHAT THE STUDIO MIGHT NEED

And if you’re reading this, you’re halfway there. Researching the studio you want to work with is not only for the benefit of carrying a studio’s favor and getting a job there, it’s also an important step in knowing whether you want to join that studio in the first place. And this is not a matter of “am I good enough?” – that kind of stuff you really have to try out for yourself. This is about learning what kind of projects the company engages in, the styles of art they offer, and so forth. Will you be ready to ink and color another artist’s line art? Will you be able to adapt to art styles when working for well-established brands? How do you deal with criticism and correction? These are all considerations for when you’re producing art as a team rather than just as an individual.

And that’s it for now. We hope you got something out of these tips. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section. If you do apply with Gunship Revolution, see you on the other side of the process.